Kieth:Off topic We have an important question for you on one of the other threads ( viewtopic.php?f=71&t=46653 ), can you weigh in on the kayak color question regarding bugs once and for all, all of us are interested.

Wow, that is a tough question, Fusioneng. I've done no research, other than my own experience. My wife's red AI, my current dune, and my previous yellow AI, have been indistinguishable with respect to bug attraction or repulsion. If there is a difference, it has passed under my radar.

If we had a black AI (that would be a neat color,) it would be very hot in the sun, and it would attract mosquitoes--especially the ones that live off polyethylene.

Chopcat--the front hatch cover fits beautifully over the Roids seal in a 2011-2012 AI. The slight side-wall compression is part of the seal.

Keith, et all, one problem I would really have with the ROID seal is collecting sand and debris due to my surf launches. I would think that spraying anything sticky on the seal will just make that worse.

Maybe a silicon or teflon lube would extend the life of the ROID and not be too sticky?

NOHUHU, if you look at my Day 4 picture above you will see only a few grains of sand on the Roids seal. By Day 4, I definitely was not worried about that seal. Sandy things were loaded in and out of that hatch w/o thought. When the cover is on no debris is going to be able to work its way up onto that seal. So, I'm not sure that your worry will be a real concern. Now, if I or you were to put some adhesive on it, and it did not dry to a non-sticky surface that could be a problem. It is a good point: whatever adhesive is used for the protective mesh, it would have to dry to a non-stick surface.

The other adhesive that I thought about for the protective mesh would be a thin line of Superglue along the bottom edge of the split pipe insulation, then apply the mesh, all before installing the Roids seal.

NOHUHU--The split cut has contact glue on each side of the split protected by a thin plastic strip--that is what is peeled off before the adhesive edge is pressed to the Hobie seal flange.

I did use superglue to glue the 2 ends together when it was installed on the hatch opening.

Jim--that logo on the bow looks great. Got to check it out at the Ft Desoto start in a couple days. Then, when you have time, I think you will have to tell us all here on the forum how it was designed and made. Dogslife is the one who started this logo bit, but yours is flashier. (I can just see Dogs running to the drawing board.)

Is it possible that the water getting into our kayaks is drawn in past the hatch seals or through rudder line guide tubes as pressure in the hull alternates between being above and then below atmospheric pressure?

I happen to be one of the lucky ones that gets very little water into my hull at the end of each day. I also note that I have one opening in my hull through which my chart plotter/fish finder power cable goes. It is a loose opening so, although it does not let water in, it would allow air into or out of the hull as the boat flexes in the waves. However, I have no idea if or how much the pressure in the hull goes up/down as the boat responds to waves so I have no clue if a small opening is enough to counteract the pressure pulsation from a flexing hull.

Do the folks that get substantial amounts of water in their hulls have openings into the boat that can allow the hull to breath without getting water in?

Martin, that has been discussed from time to time. People have even considered putting in a "breathing hole" but it is not clear just how to go about that. In my case, I went from a quart or so water in my hull to 1-2 gal after my front hatch seal got damaged. I repaired the seal, but the 1-2 gal kept getting in. That is why I tried the Roids seal. It worked. I'm back to getting a quart or less on a dds (= difficult day sailing.)

The quart one gets in his boat on a dds may well result from a breathing hull causing water to be sucked in through multiple small openings. And, whether you get 2 cups or a quart of water in your boat may depend on the load you are carrying. A heavily loaded boat is going to have more openings near or under water level than a lightly loaded boat.